diff --git a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java
index e77326963b0..67f716604fe 100644
--- a/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java
+++ b/org.springframework.beans/src/main/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/support/ConstructorResolver.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 package org.springframework.beans.factory.support;
 
+import static org.springframework.util.StringUtils.collectionToCommaDelimitedString;
+
 import java.beans.ConstructorProperties;
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Member;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.UnsatisfiedDependencyException;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.ConstructorArgumentValues;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.DependencyDescriptor;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.TypedStringValue;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.ConstructorArgumentValues.ValueHolder;
 import org.springframework.core.GenericTypeResolver;
 import org.springframework.core.MethodParameter;
 import org.springframework.core.ParameterNameDiscoverer;
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.MethodInvoker;
 import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * Helper class for resolving constructors and factory methods.
@@ -497,12 +501,25 @@ class ConstructorResolver {
 			}
 
 			if (factoryMethodToUse == null) {
+				boolean hasArgs  = resolvedValues.getArgumentCount() > 0;
+				String argDesc = "";
+				if (hasArgs) {
+					List<String> argTypes = new ArrayList<String>();
+					for (ValueHolder value : resolvedValues.getIndexedArgumentValues().values()) {
+						String argType = value.getType() != null ?
+								ClassUtils.getShortName(value.getType()) : value.getValue().getClass().getSimpleName();
+						argTypes.add(argType);
+					}
+					argDesc = StringUtils.collectionToCommaDelimitedString(argTypes);
+				}
 				throw new BeanCreationException(mbd.getResourceDescription(), beanName,
 						"No matching factory method found: " +
 						(mbd.getFactoryBeanName() != null ?
-						 "factory bean '" + mbd.getFactoryBeanName() + "'; " : "") +
-						"factory method '" + mbd.getFactoryMethodName() + "'. " +
-						"Check that a method of the specified name exists and that it is " +
+							"factory bean '" + mbd.getFactoryBeanName() + "'; " : "") +
+						"factory method '" + mbd.getFactoryMethodName() + "(" + argDesc + ")'. " +
+						"Check that a method with the specified name " +
+						(hasArgs ? "and arguments " : "") +
+						"exists and that it is " +
 						(isStatic ? "static" : "non-static") + ".");
 			}
 			else if (void.class.equals(factoryMethodToUse.getReturnType())) {
diff --git a/org.springframework.beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/Spr5475Tests.java b/org.springframework.beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/Spr5475Tests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..95e6269b1cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.beans/src/test/java/org/springframework/beans/factory/Spr5475Tests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package org.springframework.beans.factory;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.springframework.beans.factory.support.BeanDefinitionBuilder.rootBeanDefinition;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.ConstructorArgumentValues;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RootBeanDefinition;
+
+/**
+ * SPR-5475 exposed the fact that the error message displayed when incorrectly
+ * invoking a factory method is not instructive to the user and rather misleading.
+ *
+ * @author Chris Beams
+ */
+public class Spr5475Tests {
+
+	@Test
+	public void noArgFactoryMethodInvokedWithOneArg() {
+		assertExceptionMessageForMisconfiguredFactoryMethod(
+				rootBeanDefinition(Foo.class)
+					.setFactoryMethod("noArgFactory")
+					.addConstructorArgValue("bogusArg").getBeanDefinition(),
+				"Error creating bean with name 'foo': No matching factory method found: factory method 'noArgFactory(String)'. " +
+				"Check that a method with the specified name and arguments exists and that it is static.");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void noArgFactoryMethodInvokedWithTwoArgs() {
+		assertExceptionMessageForMisconfiguredFactoryMethod(
+				rootBeanDefinition(Foo.class)
+					.setFactoryMethod("noArgFactory")
+					.addConstructorArgValue("bogusArg1")
+					.addConstructorArgValue("bogusArg2".getBytes()).getBeanDefinition(),
+				"Error creating bean with name 'foo': No matching factory method found: factory method 'noArgFactory(String,byte[])'. " +
+				"Check that a method with the specified name and arguments exists and that it is static.");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void noArgFactoryMethodInvokedWithTwoArgsAndTypesSpecified() {
+		RootBeanDefinition def = new RootBeanDefinition(Foo.class);
+		def.setFactoryMethodName("noArgFactory");
+		ConstructorArgumentValues cav = new ConstructorArgumentValues();
+		cav.addIndexedArgumentValue(0, "bogusArg1", CharSequence.class.getName());
+		cav.addIndexedArgumentValue(1, "bogusArg2".getBytes());
+		def.setConstructorArgumentValues(cav);
+
+		assertExceptionMessageForMisconfiguredFactoryMethod(
+				def,
+				"Error creating bean with name 'foo': No matching factory method found: factory method 'noArgFactory(CharSequence,byte[])'. " +
+				"Check that a method with the specified name and arguments exists and that it is static.");
+	}
+
+	private void assertExceptionMessageForMisconfiguredFactoryMethod(BeanDefinition bd, String expectedMessage) {
+		DefaultListableBeanFactory factory = new DefaultListableBeanFactory();
+		factory.registerBeanDefinition("foo", bd);
+
+		try {
+			factory.preInstantiateSingletons();
+			fail("should have failed with BeanCreationException due to incorrectly invoked factory method");
+		} catch (BeanCreationException ex) {
+			assertThat(ex.getMessage(), equalTo(expectedMessage));
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void singleArgFactoryMethodInvokedWithNoArgs() {
+		// calling a factory method that accepts arguments without any arguments emits an exception unlike cases
+		// where a no-arg factory method is called with arguments. Adding this test just to document the difference
+		assertExceptionMessageForMisconfiguredFactoryMethod(
+				rootBeanDefinition(Foo.class)
+					.setFactoryMethod("singleArgFactory").getBeanDefinition(),
+				"Error creating bean with name 'foo': " +
+				"Unsatisfied dependency expressed through constructor argument with index 0 of type [java.lang.String]: " +
+				"Ambiguous factory method argument types - did you specify the correct bean references as factory method arguments?");
+	}
+
+
+	static class Foo {
+		static Foo noArgFactory() {
+			return new Foo();
+		}
+
+		static Foo singleArgFactory(String arg) {
+			return new Foo();
+		}
+	}
+
+}